Ian Tilton

Ian Tilton – very early Oasis shots

Capturing the moment, stealing the soul, and flashing it back in brutal black and white or an expansive colour, Ian Tilton infuses his photos with a flair and a lust for life, underlining them with distinctive bled borders. These are photographs that spit energy and vigour, mirroring a genuine love for the subject, which is all too rare in the increasingly hack media pool.

Tilton moved to Manchester in the mid-eighties; this vibrant northern city a perfect place to cop some rockin' shutter action, as the Manchester music thing exploded. Tilton was well-placed to capture its protagonists; grabbing the truest carefree leer of the young Liam Gallagher and early Oasis gigs, the studied cool of the Stone Roses, the abandon of a youth culture free of shackles.

Tilton also photographed Nirvana after being the first UK photographer to form a relationship with them. His shot of Kurt Cobain crying was voted the 6th best Rock shot ever by Q magazine amongst others.

Ian Tilton was the only photographer to fully document the famous Manchester club the Hacienda...and his colour shots of the interior, alongside fantastically atmospheric photos of the club in full swing capture the design and excitement of that legendary place.

Not that all action has been confined to the 'rainy city', Tilton has removed his lens cap all over the world, from the struggling half-assed dimwit at the bottom of the circuit through to the fatoid lazing walrus at the peak of an ill-deserved career, and a host of cool, mean music action in-between. This includes numerous books and exhibitions on Nirvana, and Manchester music, and work undertaken for Sounds, Select, Melody Maker and Q magazine.

Stone Roses - Spike Island 1990

The last six photos in the gallery are also taken by Ian and are from the The Stone Roses legendary concert at Spike Island in 1990 and attended by 27,000 people including Oasis founding members Bonehead and Guigsy who were excitedly waiting for the big Stone Roses moment.

It marked the beginning of the 1990s, a celebration of all things Madchester and the moment where The Stone Roses moved directly into the media spotlight.

Bonehead owned the van pictured which he used to transport the band's equipment to Hutton's garage where they would perform. The van was nicknamed The Bonemobile and was decorated by Guigsy with a psychedelic mural when they took it to The Stone Roses' 1990 gig at Spike Island.